In Viking times battle and warfare was an everyday
occurrence. Most disputes were settled by combat and death was commonplace.
All freemen knew how to fight with a weapon of some sort simply to defend
their home. Some weapons were modified from household tools, others were more
specialised. Here are a few that we use to re-enact Viking battles:

Weapons

Scramaseax:
A general-purpose knife, most freemen would have one about their person for
every day use. Sizes varied and larger heavier ones were made specifically
for battle.

Dagger: These were expensive
and therefore rare. They could possibly have been made from parts of a broken
sword but few have been found in a Viking context.

Sword: A prized possession
that could cost as much as a house. Few men could afford a sword and those
who could would pass it down from father to son.

Hand Axe: Using far
less metal than swords, axes were more affordable and were the most common
weapon used by freemen after spears.

Boarding Axe: A modified
hand axe, it had a flat headed, hook-like (bearded) head designed to catch
onto the side of ships and aid the warrior boarding it.

Dalcassian Axe: This
is a larger two-handed version of the boarding axe . Again this type of axe
could be used to board ships. It is an Irish weapon and gets its name from
Dalcassian warriors who carried it.

Dane Axe: A mighty weapon
carried by the warrior elite. A large blade set on a five-foot haft capable
of inflicting massive injuries, The Dane axe was a greatly feared weapon.

Javelin: Short pointed
spears designed for throwing at a foe. A fairly close range weapon.

Spear: A seven-foot
ash pole tipped with a lethal steel blade. It was fast, lightweight and easily
wielded. As it used little metal it was the most affordable and therefore
one of the most commonly used weapons.

Bow & Arrow: Arrowheads
come in various shapes to take advantage of a foes armour and inflict maximum
damage, Their range meant even a couple of archers could greatly influence
which side would win.

Club: A heavy stick,
sometimes with metal studs. A lower class weapon. a thrall fighting for his
master may have used a club.

Mace: This is the upper
class version of a club. A heavy metal head on a short haft commonly used
against heavy armour to inflict bone-shattering wounds by sheer force alone.
Some ornamental maces have been found and it is thought that they were a sign
of rank.

Tactics

Though fairly un-regimented the Vikings had
a few formations to help gain the advantage in combat.

The shield wall: The
warriors would first stand shoulder to shoulder in a line. When the ‘shield
wall’ command was given all the warriors overlapped the edges of their
shield with their neighbours locking them together. This formed a much stronger
defense and was difficult to break through. The one disadvantage of the shield
wall was that it took vital seconds for warriors to disengage if threatened
from behind.

The boar snout: On a
march the armoured warriors formed a wedge which lighter, un-armoured warriors
packed into. The pace then quickened to a charge and the enemy shield wall
was rammed to punch a hole in it. At this point the armoured warriors pushed
outwards to form a path for the others to pour through and attack the enemy
from behind.